News

Biomass imports to the UK are expected to soar, as the nation's supply of domestic biomass is not enough to fulfil the demand of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). Currently 74% of the bioenergy industry is supplied with domestic feedstocks, but this is expected to shift to 81% imported biomass as the UK strives to meet the RED. Under the RED, 15% of energy is to come from renewable sources by…
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Three renewable energy companies have formed a partnership to develop and run a biogas plant in Columbia, South Carolina, US. The new anaerobic digester will convert 48,000 tonnes of organic waste matter into 3.2MW of biogas power. German plant engineering company Eisenmann will supply its anaerobic digestion technology to the project, while US companies W2E Organic Power and CIYCOR will oversee…
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Gazprom, Russia's largest natural gas company, is switching to biomass. The company has installed four 6MW biomass boilers at its Severoonezhsk-based 24MW plant. Speaking about the project, David Poveda, director of Spain's Nova Energia Group, says: 'The four global boilers use wood waste with a moisture content of 50% or higher, which in many cases are completely covered in snow. Biomass was…
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RWE, a German utility company, is looking to increase the levels of renewable energy it generates in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a strong focus on the biogas and wind energy markets, the company is planning to invest €13 million for the construction of a biogas plant in Bergheim Paffendorf. It will convert a variety of feedstocks including sugar beets, alfalfa and manure into…
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In Germany, Heizkraft Zwickau Süd GmbH is developing a biomass-fired power plant, for which Metso will supply the modularised biomass power plant for combined heat and power (CHP) production. The CHP plant will be delivered by the Mesto-Wärtsilä joint venture MW Power. The value of the order is about €20 million. The plant will start transporting electricity to the gird in…
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In the UK, energy minister Charles Hendry has approved two new biomass-fired power plants in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. Drax Biomass Selby got the go-ahead for a 299MW biomass-fuelled power station, which will be installed at the existing 400MW Drax Power Station site in Selby, North Yorkshire, while Drax Biomass Immingham has been granted consent for a 299MW biomass power station at South…
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In Georgia, US, Beasley Forest Products and Land Care Services have partnered for the development of a biomass-fired power plant to be located in Dublin in Laurens County. Upon completion, slated for October 2012, the 56MW Green Power Solutions plant will be the largest of its kind in Georgia. The facility will be able to handle 1.2 million tonnes a year of woody biomass, including bark and…
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Biodiesel in Europe should be produced to meet EN142414 – 2008/2009 and EN15376-2011 standards, which can then be blended into road fuels meeting EN590 and EN228 quality requirements. On 15 November 2011, delegates at Biofuels International expo & conference will have the chance to learn how biodiesel production can be optimised using the latest testing methods and procedures in a tour…
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The European Commission (EC) has opened an investigation into whether a plan by Drax to convert a plant from coal to biomass breaches state aid rules. The Commission said it would look into whether the move was unfair to competitors. Drax shares fell 3.3%. The UK aims to close all coal-fired generators by 2025, and recently won EU clearance to support a biomass plant being converted by RWE. Drax…
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In the US, projects designed to restore and protect wetlands in the Northern Everglades Watershed could receive funding from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the government of Florida. The grants will support a number of projects, including the INEOS New Planet BioEnergy plant in Vero Beach. A loan guarantee from the USDA went towards the construction of this facility, which now…
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In the UK, supermarket giant Tesco's organic waste-derived ethanol has been certified by OFGEM, the government's energy official. The ethanol, which has been under development for 2 years, has seen Tesco granted a Renewable Obligation Certificate, confirming the fuel contains no traces of additional fossil fuels and is 100% renewable. The fuel is currently being used to fuel specially adapted…
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In the US, wood pellet manufacturer Fram Renewable Fuels is to partner with a producer of pine shavings, Telfair Forest Products (TFP), to build a wood pellet production plant in Lumber City, Georgia. The companies are scheduled to break ground on the facility this month before it becomes operational in January 2012. Upon completion, the plant will convert around 350,000 tonnes a year of shavings…
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In Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada, pulp mill Millar Western Forest Products is planning to construct a biomass-fired power plant. The new plant, estimated to cost in the region of $35 million (€35.6 million), would be designed to handle the mill's wastewater, converting this into 5.2MW of renewable energy a year. An anaerobic system is currently installed at the mill to treat the waste matter,…
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Sri Lanka's Tokyo Cement Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Cement Group, is to build a power plant in the Uva Province. The Dendro Power Project will convert branches from Gliricidia plants into 5MW of renewable energy, all of which will be supplied to the National Grid. The project is estimated to cost around Rs.1.5 billion. Part of this will be financed by Tokyo Cement Group, with the…
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